1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support bandage being wound around a joint or like in a human body for preventing and curing a sprain and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, there has been known the so-called support bandage, i.e., winding an expandable tape or tapes around an ankle and the like before the start of a sport, whereby a sprain, torn muscle or damaged muscle are prevented, and curing the affected part as described above after an injury has occurred, thereby enabling to make the physical activity that follows possible.
Description will hereunder be given of a case where the support bandage is applied to prevent a sprain in an ankle with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Firstly, a tape 12 is wound around a portion adjacent a calf 10 by the utilization of the adhesion thereof. Next, one end 14A of the tape 14 is adhesively attached to the outer side of the body, and the intermediate portion 14B to a foot sole 16. In this case, a high tension is applied to a portion between one end 14A and the intermediate portion 14B to expand the tape 14, whereby the intermediate portion 14B is adhesively attached to the foot sole 16 (in a direction indicated by an arrow A). Thereafter, if the other end 14C of the tape 14 is adhesively attached to the tape 12 at the inner side of the body, then the taping operation is completed, and as necessary a plurality of tapes are adhesively attached in the same manner as the tape 14 and the tension is adjusted.
The tension of this tape 14 (in a direction indicated by the arrow A) makes it possible to reliably prevent an injury caused by the rotation of the joint of an ankle 18 toward the inner side of the body to an extreme extent (in a direction indicated by an arrow B), i.e., a sprain.
In addition to the above, taping is applicable to various joints, tendons, muscular portions so as to effectively prevent any possible injury or the like, and further, if taping may be applied after an injury, then the physical activity can be continued in spite of the occurrence of the injury such as a sprain, thus eliminating the necessity of using a walking stick or the like. Since taping has such high advantages as described above, some countries impose sportsmen an obligation to fasten taping to themselves.
However, with the taping having such outstanding advantages as described above, the applying methods are different in accordance with the types and parts of injury which would possibly occur or occurred. In order to fully obtain the advantages, it is necessary to attain high level of skill in applying the tapes and to obtain the help of specially trained persons such as sports trainers.